This is one of those evenings when I'm so tired I am having trouble staying upright. It's only 8:30pm as I type this, yet I could so happily crawl into bed and fall asleep right this very moment. But, dear readers, I promised you shrimp pizza, and shrimp pizza you shall get.
This pizza is one of our all time, very favorite meals. I have been making this forever, and it's one of my husband's most requested dinners. But since we've been on this grilled pizza kick, I haven't made it. Honestly, I was worried it wouldn't do as well on the grill, since the shrimp needs time to cook, and all the pizzas I do on the grill are pretty quick-cooking. But we were missing it, and shrimp season will be over before too long, so I decided to try it last week.
Hello, fabulous.
It was so good. Better, even, than in the oven. The downside is that the prep for it is a smidgen time consuming. But I promise it's worth it. If you don't want to grill your pizza, this does great on one of the thin Boboli crusts you can buy at the grocery store.
Ingredients
12 large, wild caught shrimp, peeled and deveined, and cut in half horizontally (as if you meant to butterfly them and got carried away) (this makes the shrimp thinner, which helps it cook more quickly on the pizza)
3 Tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 shallot, finely chopped
pinch of ground pepper
1/3 cup of good white wine - whatever you're going to be drinking with the pizza that night
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 chicken boullion cube
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 white onion, finely sliced (the thinner the better so it will cook a bit on the grill)
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and cilantro and cook until light brown. Stir often so it doesn't burn! Add pepper, wine, and lemon juice. Cook approximately another 5 minutes, stirring often - you want the liquid to reduce down so it's a bit thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in the last 2 tablespoons of butter (now might be a good time to put your cardiologist on speed dial) (hmmm...I know a good one if you need a recommendation...)
Follow instructions for grilled pizza. Once you flip to the second side, quickly brush on your butter/wine/lemon sauce. Top pizza with the shredded cheese, then shrimp, then onion. Close your grill, and if you're using a gas grill, turn the heat down to low. Leave covered for 8 minutes or until shrimp are a lovely pink and no longer translucent at all. Do not overcook! You may want to check the pizza crust once or twice to make sure it's not burning and scoot it over to a cooler spot on the grill if it gets a little scorched.
Happy Labor Day weekend!
